We Must Create More Apprenticeships

Our economy urgently needs the creation of more real apprenticeships. And by real apprenticeship, I don't mean (as this Government does) just renaming an existing College course an apprenticeship. What I mean is genuine, work-based training, with an apprentice spending most of their time in the workplace -developing experience in a day to day working environment. This is the kind of apprenticeship that was so effective for most of the post war years and gets a lot of support on the doorstep.

Using the Government's own figures, the number of apprentices have fallen by more than a third in one year. That is simply not good enough. Particularly when we need a highly skilled workforce to ensure that we can compete in a skills based global economy. It is absolutely not good enough when we have a record number of young people not in employment, education or training.

That is why I am calling for the creation of 100,000 new work-based apprenticeships and training places to help young people. We also need to make it much easier for businesses to run apprenticeship schemes. Having a highly skilled workforce is central to the future economic prosperity of our area.

Support Floods In For Durham As 'City Of Culture'

I'm delighted to see that Durham's bid to be the UK's City of Culture is attracting so much support. Over 10,000 people have backed the bid so far. If you haven't already done so, I would encourage you to visit www.durhamcityofculture.co.uk

I blogged when the bid was first announced that I'm a massive supporter of the bid. As I said in July, Durham is one of the most culturally exciting places in the country, with art, theatre, poetry, comedy and photography all flourishing in our area.

Only this year, our area has played host to some outstanding cultural events and festivals. And there are even more to come next year. Our area's cultural vibrancy and stunning backdrop mean that we are perfectly placed to become the city of culture. Let's keep up the momentum and make sure that our area gets the recognition it deserves.

Celebrating Our Region's Beers... And Standing Up For The Local Pub

After a good morning’s canvassing around Chester-le-Street, we headed for the welcoming environs of the Chester-le-Street Beer Festival in the Cricket Club, as the heavens began to open outside. It was a brilliantly organised event and an excellent showcase for beer brewed in North Durham (Beamish) and around the region (Consett and Wylam to name but two of the breweries represented. Hats off to the organisers – the room was packed with a wide variety of people (including somebody who seemed genuinely surprised that I had read and appreciated ‘In Place Of Fear’ by Nye Bevan). All in all, a great success and one that will hopefully be repeated next year.

However, there was a more serious sub-text to the occasion that needs to be addressed. Firstly, there was the shadow that one of the region’s most famous drinks is under threat of having its beer production moved from our region. I have said before, and I will say again, for the sake of jobs, the heritage of the drink, and the future credibility and success of the ‘dog’, Newcastle Brown Ale MUST continue to be brewed in the North East, where it belongs.

The second shadow hanging over the event was the continuing difficulties being faced by pubs in our area and nationwide. 40 pubs are closing every week, including all too many in the North Durham area, with hugely damaging consequences for the communities that they serve. Around a third of every pint we buy now goes to the Government in tax and the ‘beer tie’ continues to bind the hands of pubs and landlords around the area. The Government has repeatedly raised beer tax, punishing hard working people who enjoy a pint, and, only last Friday, turned down the idea even of an independent inquiry into the beer tie.

Sadly, the Government is driven by a stern faced Puritanism, which is damaging pubs and Working Men’s Clubs throughout the area. We need to fight to safeguard the future of our region’s brewing tradition, local pubs and Working Man’s Club movement. It is quite clear that Labour are not going to stand up for the working man who liked the odd tipple after work. I most certainly will be standing up for local pubs, local brewing, local Working Men’s Clubs and the continuance of Newcastle Brown Ale in the North East.

A New Report Says That Our Area has Been Hardest Hit By The Recession

There are so many examples in North Durham of how we have been particularly badly hit by the recession created in Downing Street. I have spoken to many, many people who are out of work and not getting anywhere near enough help from this Government to get back to work. Indeed, unemployment is up by around 70% in the past year. The effect of the recession is painfully obvious on the streets of Chester-le-Street and Stanley. The number of shops that have closed on Chester-le-Street's high street in the last year alone is devastating.

Now we know that this recession is the longest since records began. A number of reports have shown that our area has been hit hardest by the recession - coming on top of the fact that since 1997, our area has trailed other regions using almost every economic metric. A report released today confirmed what many of us have feared - that the Chester-le-Street area is amongst the hardest hit in the country by the recession. Indeed, the report from Experian suggests that Chester-le-Street will suffer the most from the recession.

I have said so many times before that this Government is not doing anywhere near enough to deal with the recession. Local Labour politicians seem completely devoid of answers or solutions. Local people are rightly demanding action. All they are getting from the Labour party is hot air.

We need urgent action to create jobs; help people to find work; help business to recover; and provide apprenticeship and training places. It is time for the Labour Party, which has taken us for granted for too long and left our area exposed to the worst of the recession, to step aside and make way for people such as me who believe in our area and want to take urgent action to help create jobs. It is time for the Labour Party, which has let our area down for too long, make way for people like me who believe in our region, are prepared to stand up for our region and have a vision for a glorious economic future for our region.

Labour Should Be Ashamed About The Rise In Fuel Poverty

Labour should be ashamed of their record on fuel poverty. A The Northern Echo reported today, the number of North Eastern households suffering from fuel poverty has increased from 73,100 to 177,021. In Chester-le-Street alone it has more than doubled in three years – from 1,500 to 3,360. In Derwentside, fuel poverty showed a shocking increase from 2,500 to 6,783. According to the Fuel Poverty Action Group, these figures understate the scale of the problem – with up to 5.5 million households nationwide suffering from fuel poverty.

When I was brought up in Consett, I was told that this was the kind of thing that a Labour Government would not allow to happen. But a Labour Government has allowed it to happen and it is a disgrace.

As Age Concern have said, “the human cost of fuel poverty is great, particularly among vulnerable older people.” Age Concern have called on the Government to “en the misery” over fuel poverty. They are quite right that urgent action needs to be taken about this distressing problem. Once again, the Government has not done nearly enough to help the most vulnerable in society.

That is why I am calling for a series of reforms to directly tackle the human tragedy of fuel poverty. I would like to see:

- Tough measures on the energy companies, including rules to ensure that energy and utility companies give customers a fair deal and, in particular, make it illegal for these companies to charge price premiums on repayment meters. Energy companies must make it clear to all customers what the cheapest available tariff is;
- Energy companies being forced to offer preferential tariffs and affordable payment plans to vulnerable households;
- Real action to refit the houses of people suffering from fuel poverty. Every home that requires should be refitted in an energy efficient way, to be repaid through fuel bills over a 25 year period. This would result in immediate reductions in the cost of energy;
- People without a bank account enabled to pay energy bills using direct debit style payments through their Post Office, cutting energy bills for millions of people without bank accounts in fuel poverty.

We need to ensure that this action is taken urgently – before so many households in our area suffer the devastation of a winter with limited access to heat. I’m sick and tired of this Government not standing up for or helping the people who need their help the most. Now is the time for action – not rhetoric. We must consign fuel poverty to history.

It Is About Time That we Had North Eastern MPs Who Are Prepared To Stand Up For The North East

The Government kicked the North East in the guts twice in a day on Monday.

Firstly, Lord Adonis, the Transport Minister said that campaigners against the hike in Air Passenger Duty, which will disproportionately affect the North East, had no right to complain.

Secondly, a group of transport experts have made a first class case for a high speed rail link to include the North East. As I have said before, our area's future economic competitiveness depends on it. And where were the region's MPs as the case for jobs and business in the area was being made? Nowhere. It seems that the Government has already made the decision to ignore the North East yet again.

It is about time that we had a Government who didn't treat our region in this way. It is about time that we had MPs prepared to stand up for the North East. If elected as MP for North Durham, I will ensure that I am a proud North Eastern voice making the case for our area in Westminster.

Newcastle Brown Ale Must Not Be Brewed Outside Of The North East

Newcastle Brown Ale is one of the great symbols of the North East. It is a great symbol of our region that is recognised worldwide. As somebody who enjoys a fairly regular drop of the brown stuff or 'the dog' as it is known, I'm particularly proud of the heritage and regional pride that comes with the Blue Star.

I was very sad to hear that Scottish and Newcastle have decided to shift production of that great North Eastern symbol to move production away from the North East. Clearly, this is devastating news for the workforce in the North East and our first thoughts must be with those whose jobs and livelihoods are at risk because of this decision. Up to 63 jobs could be at risk from this decision.

This decision shows that we must do more to support the pub trade, which has been hit by rise after rise in beer duty - so much so that one third of every pint now goes in tax and 6 pubs are closing every day of the week.

We must all appeal to Scottish and Newcastle to reverse this decision. Newcastle Brown Ale is special because it is brewed in the North East. It will lose its distinctiveness and, to some extent, lose its credibility as a brand if it is brewed away from our region. It is, frankly, an insult that a brand, which has made so much of the distinctiveness of our area to strengthen the beer's appeal, is considering dealing a blow to our area.

More Needs To Be Done To Tackle Rising Unemployment In North Durham

I have spoken to so many people across the constituency who have been affected by the devastation of unemployment. So many people have told me that they feel not enough is being done to help them back into work. That is why we need real action top help create jobs and to cut unemployment.

Figures released this morning show that unemployment is up by 80,000 nationwide to 2.47 million. In North Durham, the unemployment rate has increased to 4.9% - well above the national average of 4.2%. In North Durham, 2,533 people are now claiming Job Seeker's allowance - an increase of almost 68% since September 2008.

There are some shocking figures as well about youth unemployment in the constituency. There are 850 claimants aged between 18 and 24 - a percentage of 33.6% that is well above the regional and national average.

I have made clear many times that I believe that unemployment is the worst of all economic problems. It has terrible effects on families, communities and, of course, the individuals involved. That is why tackling unemployment must be a real national priority and I will treat it as an absolute priority if elected as MP for North Durham.

I am calling for real action to tackle unemployment, including:

• The creation of a hundreds of thousands of new training places and apprenticeships;
• Provision of specialised careers guidance and support for people who are out of work;
• The provision of tax breaks and incentives for business to create jobs;
• A proper National Loan Guarantee Scheme to help get credit flowing and create jobs;
• Support for people who want to start their own business.

We need to act and act quickly to tackle unemployment in the area.

Labour Has Betrayed The Working Class Over Higher Education

I have blogged many times about Labour's betrayal of the working class. It is shameful that a Labour Government has presided over rising unemployment; over 1 million young people not being in employment, education or training; rising poverty; falling social mobility; and widening inequality. The Labour Party that has presided over this mess certainly isn't the Labour movement I was brought up with.

This betrayal of hard working people is evident if you look at the Government's terrible record regarding getting more people from underpriveleged backgrounds into Higher Education. Just consider a few factors:

• The Government says that it wants 50% of young people to go to University. That figure stands at 40% at the moment, some ten years after the Government made 50% their target;
• In the ten per cent most deprived neighbourhoods, only 30% of young people go to University, compared to 60% in the twenty per cent least deprived neighbourhoods;
• Sutton Trust research has shown that 40% of university scholars went to private school. Only 7% of children are educated privately;
• One third of students from top ranked universities went to private schools. Only 7% of children go to private school;
• In 2005, the probability of going to university for the top two social classes was 78% - the same figure as in 1948. According to the Times Higher Education, "for the bottom social class, it was 13 per cent, 1 per cent lower than in Clement Attlee's Britain."
• The Government's limit on university numbers, meaning well over 100,000 university applicants have been left without a place has impacted working class people in particular.
• The student finance fiasco of this summwer has meant that over 150,000 students, predominantly from lower socio-economic backgrounds have had to start university in a state of financial crisis.

Lets be clear about this. The Government have totally failed to widen participation in university. And widening participation is absolutely what needs to happen. In too many cases, universities represent finishing schools for the middle class. We must do all that we can to broaden the social base of Higher Education, to ensure aa boost in social mobility. That must be a national priority.

That is why I support real action, rather than talk, to widen participation. That is why I support the plan, set out at last week's Conservative conference to create an extra 10,000 university places.

Is This Man One Of The Greatest Sportsmen In The UK Today?

I get sick and tired of the toffee nosed Southern press having a go at one of the most popular participation AND spectator sports in the UK. Every time a big darts tournament is on TV, we don't hear about phenomenal skill, accuracy or talent, instead we hear snobbish comments about the game and the people who play it.

I say this as a big darts player and a big darts fan. It is a game where accuracy, holding your nerve, dedication and talent count for all. It is, after Premiership football and test match cricket, Sky's most watched sport. It is a sport that packs out arenas up and down the country and sells out Alexandra Palace every year for a fortninght. Why, then, do most of the Southern media give the game fewer column inches than a reserve match for their beloved 'rugger'? Why does the game warrant no serious reporting in too much of the press? Why do newspapers seem more fixated on the alcohol intake of of the players/ spectators than about the talent of the players. I believe this can be answered in one word: snobbery.

The reason I mention this is that Phil 'The Power' Taylor became, on Sunday, the first darts player to hold the 'grand slam' of televised titles. A phenomenal achievement in itself. But bear in mind the fact that he has won no fewer than 12 World Championships and has come closer than anybody else to mastering a sport many thought couldn't be mastered. A genuine working class hero, who would be getting ten times the press coverage he is getting if he played in a more middle class sport. The great commentator Sid Waddell compares him to Bradman and Babe Ruth in terms of his domination of the game. That comparison may not be as far out as it first appears.

The North East Must Be The Powerhouse Of The New Industrial Revolution

We have seen the effects of an economy overly focused on financial services. It has meant that our economy became massively unbalanced, based on a bubble and focused to much too great an extent on the South East of England. The result has been disastrous for our economy and our region. We need a considerably more balanced economy.

We need to return to the manufacturing that built our area and built a strong, sustainable British economy. Unlike New Labour, I believe that manufacturing has a massive role to play in a modern successful economy. This Government allowing the manufacturing sector to shrink by a third was a grotesque error. As Ken Clarke said in Manchester this week, "Britain has to make things again."

Our region can be leaders in the new industrial revolution. We were the powerhouse of the economy based on the first industrial revolution. We must be the powerhouse of the economy formed by the next industrial revolution. As an area, we have formidable skills, excellent natural resources and a first class track record of innovation. With the right leadership, we can and must be leaders in green technology, high-tech and niche manufacturing, and scientific innovation.

I believe in this area. I am passionate about this area. We can and will, with the right vision and leadership, be trailblazers for the new indutsries of the 21st Century.

Supporting Our Troops

I spent some time with the Royal British Legion this week and promised to do all that I can to help our brave armed forces and veterans who have bravely fought for us in the past to maintain our freedoms. I promised to do all that I can to help the families of servicemen.

This means making sure that whenever we send our brave troops to war that they are provided with the best equipment possible. It means providing improved services to service men and women and ensuring that we provide high quality accomodation for our troops, whilst also doing more to help service leavers, veterans and the families of our troops.

We all owe our brave troops so much. We need to remember the danger that our troops face on a daily basis and the sacrifices that our troops make to ensure our freedom. WE must do all that we can for our service men and women.

Coal Must Have A Role To Play In The New Economy

Clean coal must play major role in making our area an economic trailblazer for the new economy of the 21st Century. Clean coal and renewables must play a big role in improving our energy security and making our economy less dependent on imported oil. Clean coal has been shown to beneficial both in terms of environmental consequences and energy security. It is a real shame that the Government has shown no real leadership on the issue of clean coal technology over the past twelve years. Indeed, the Government's economic policy is marked by chaos and uncertainty.

With this in mind, I'm very sorry to see that E.O.N have decided to shelve the building of a new clean coal powered plant. I'm worried about what this means for jobs and what this means for energy security. I'm also a bit riled at the sight of middle class so-called 'radicals' on the left who have been campaigning against new clean coal power stations and effectively campaigning for ordinary working class people to lose their jobs.

Clean coal technology, along with carbon capture and clean tech, should play an important role in the North Eastern economy. It can help create jobs and place us at the forefront of green industry. Our industrial legacy, skills and natural resources leave us very well placed to be leaders in the new, green economy. Clean coal must be part of our vision for that new green economy.

We Must Prioritise The Creation Of Jobs

I have been blogged quite a few times about how we need to take action to tackle the problem of unemployment, which devastates familes and communities. In North Durham, unemployment is over 70% higher than it was a year ago. Nationally we have had the biggest increases in unemployment since records began this year. The Government have given us platitudes but no action. It is time we had action to get people back to work.

Getting people in North Durham back to work will be my number one priority if I am elected. That is why I am calling for radical measures to incentivise the creation of new jobs; the provision personalised support for unemployed people to help them find work; the creation of more training places, more apprenticeships and more FE places.

We have a moral and economic imperative to help create jobs and help people back to work. We have an moral and economic imperative to ensure that the recession does not create a ‘lost generation’ of young people. Labour have failed the people of North Durham over jobs. It is time they stepped aside so that we can have real and determined action to tackle unemployment.

Ensuring A Bright Future For Our Working Men's Clubs

Congratulations to Mick McGlasham, who has just been elected the General Secretary of the Club and Institute Union, representing Working Men's Clubs in the North East and nationwide.

I think the Working Men's Clubs organisation is one of the most important organisations in our area. It provides an important glue to help hold our towns and villages together. Working Men's Clubs provide great community facilities, an excellent social setting, great banter and excellent value drinks. Importantly, for a darts enthusiast such as myself, at the same time as other pubs are ripping their dartboards and pool tables out, the CIU constitution ensures that each club must have a board and a pool table. Ever since my Dad took me to some of the Working Men's Clubs around the Consett and Stanley area for a pint or two, I have been a massive fan of the Working Men's Club movement.

However, I am sad to see that clubs have recently seen a declining number of people both joining and choosing to drink in them. I will stand up for these great working class institutions, even though Labour politicians refuse to stand up for them.

As the new General Secretary of the CIU says, "there's no doubt that the Labour Party let us down badly." As I have said many times, this Labour Party no longer stands for the working class. Instead, it speaks for an absurd middle class puritanism that is damaging the CIU movement. The annual increases in beer tax that this Government have introduced have hit the working men's club movement and the working class the most. The smoking ban was introduced completely ignoring the views of the CIU - as the new General Secretary says the 'no compromise' approach adopted by the Labour Government has left elderly and infirm CIU members standing outside in the cold. Surely we can reach a compromise where working men's clubs are enabled to have 'smoking rooms' if their members desire.

I'm proud of my CIU membership. At a time when Labour politicians have abandoned the working class and working class institutions, I am proud to stand up for the Working Men's Clubs that form an integral part of our communities.

Labour Have Lost The People Of North Durham

This week's news was dominated by the fact that by far Britain's most popular daily newspaper has deserted the Labour Party, saying that "Labour's lost it." The paper makes clear that one of the major reasons for its decision was the fact that so many of its readers, ordinary hard working people who had put so much faith in Labour in 1997, have been let down by this Labour Government.

Don't listen to any of the Labour politicians who are pretending that this doesn't make any difference. Instead, ask yourself why Alastair Campbell described The Sun backing Tony Blair in 1997 as "the result of 3 years hard work." Ask yourself why Peter Mandelson said in 1997, "If The Sun chooses to pitch against us like last time, we will find it difficult to win."

This big news highlights the fact that so many people across the country, and in North Durham in particular, feel badly let down by this Government. People were full of hope in 1997. Now they see a Government that has resulted in declining social mobility and rising poverty. It has seen unemployment rise and a record number of young people not in education, employment or training. It has seen anti social behaviour get out of control - affecting hard working people the most. The people of North Durham have witnessed a Government that, at almost every turm, ignores the North East and forgets the people who elected them in the first place.

And the people of North Durham have had enough of being let down. Not only has the Labour Party lost the Sun, it has lost the people of North Durham as well. So many people I have spoken to who have voted Labour all of their lives will be voting Conservative at the next election. It is clear that the people of Nort Durham are deserting the Labour Party in droves. We are sick of being taken for granted. We are sick of a Labour Party that has stopped standing up for the North East and stands only for the perpetuation of its own interests. The people of North Durham are ready to send a defiant message to the Labour Party at the next election.